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| c. 1210 Arundel MS 157, f.93r The British Library, London |
Let the Office of Vespers consist of four psalms with antiphons. After the psalms a lesson is to be recited; then the responsory, the hymn, the verse, the canticle of the Gospel, the Litany, the Lord's Prayer, and the concluding prayer, with which this Office ends.
Rule of St Benedict, ch 17
Let the Office of Vespers consist of four psalms with antiphons. After the psalms a lesson is to be recited; then the responsory, the hymn, the verse, the canticle of the Gospel, the Litany, the Lord's Prayer, and the concluding prayer, with which this Office ends.
Rule of St Benedict, ch 17
Vespers and the key liturgical seasons
The previous post focused on the 'ferial' or everyday version of Vespers, which mostly use the default texts set out in the psalter section of Office books (the collect aside).
The basic structure of Vespers (a few special days aside) is always the same.
But due to the large number of special texts that have been composed for this hour down the centuries, Vespers often requires you to look elsewhere in your books for some of the texts required.
Vespers and the key liturgical seasons
This post covers the variants relating to the main liturgical seasons; the next looks at Vespers for feasts.
The psalms during the special seasons
On 'ferial' days (usually Class III or II) during the special seasons of the year, such as Advent, Nativitytide, Epiphanytide, Lent and Eastertide, the psalms of Vespers are usually still those of the day of the week.
There are a few key exceptions to this principle though:
- during the Octave of the Nativity, Vespers uses the first three psalms of Sundays (Ps 109, 110, 111) but the fourth psalm alternates between Psalm 129 and Ps 131;
- during the Octaves of Easter and Pentecost, the Sunday psalms are used throughout the week; and
- during the Sacred Triduum, the psalms are numbers 115, 119, 139, 140 and 141.
Antiphons
The antiphons used during these seasons can either be as for throughout the year, or include special sets of antiphons.
Advent
The situation for Advent is perhaps the most complex.
For most of Advent, Saturdays and Sunday Vespers use the antiphons for the week of Advent common to Lauds and Prime to None during the week; weekday Vespers, though uses the antiphons for 'throughout the year'.
On the days between December 17 and 23 however, a special set of antiphons for each the day of the week are used.
Lent
Lent is actually less elaborate than Advent so far as antiphons for the psalms go, as the antiphons for throughout the year continue to be used.
Eastertide
During Eastertide the Office is simplified, with all four psalms being said each day under one antiphon viz Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Chapter, responsory, versicle and hymn
The special seasons of the year typically have special sets of texts for the parts of the Office that come after the psalmody that completely replace those normally used, and are usually the same each day.
For most of the little hours, most of the seasonal texts are included in the psalter section of the book.
In the case of Vespers though, you have to remember to ignore the texts in the psalter section of the book and instead refer to the 'Ordinary of the season' texts provided in the temporale, or 'of time' section of your Office book.
Magnificat antiphon
The special seasons of the year generally include special canticle antiphons.
In some cases these are the same each day of the week, such as during Nativitytide, Epiphanytide and Ascensiontide.
More often, though, a special antiphon is supplied for each day of the relevant period (ie Monday in the first week of Advent, Tuesday in the first week of Advent, etc), or particular date (such as the O Antiphons between December 17 and 23).
In the case of the season of Septuagesima, the use of these canticle antiphons is the main change to the Office (the exclusion of the Alleluia aside) that is specific to the season.
Collects
The special seasons also often involve additional collects, following rules particular to the season.
During most of Advent, for example, special days such as the Ember Days of Advent aside, the collect is simply that of the Sunday as usual.
But during Lent there are two collects set for each day, one of which is only used at Vespers.
SUMMARY
The tables below summarise where the texts come from during the main liturgical seasons.
Advent to Ephiphanytide
Advent
(to 16/12)
|
Advent
(17-23/12)
|
Nativitytide
(after the Octave)
|
Epiphanytide
|
|
Opening prayers
|
As
usual
|
|||
Antiphons
for the psalms
|
Sat&Sunday
of Sunday Lauds of Advent week; rest of the office throughout the year
|
Of
the day of the week between December 17-23
|
As in the psalter for throughout the year
|
As
in the psalter
|
Psalms
|
Of
the day of the week
|
|||
Chapter
|
Ordinary
of Advent
|
Ordinary
of the ferial Office after the octave of the Nativity
|
Ordinary
of Epiphanytide
|
|
Responsory
|
||||
Hymn
|
||||
Versicle
|
||||
Antiphon
for the Magnificat
|
Of
the Advent day
|
Of
the date
|
Of
the day after Epiphany
|
|
Magnificat+Gloria
Patri
|
As usual
|
|||
Antiphon
repeated
|
As
above
|
|||
Closing
prayers
|
As usual
|
|||
- Collect
|
Of
Of the Advent week
|
Of Of the season
|
Of
Of the epiphany, or after the Sunday
|
|
Septuagesima to Passiontide
Septuagesima
|
Lent
– Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before
Sunday Lent I
|
Lent
proper
|
Passiontide
|
|
Opening prayers
|
No alleluia – Laus tibi Domine…
|
|||
Antiphons
for the psalms
|
As
in the psalter for throughout the year
|
As
in the psalter
|
As in the psalter
|
As
in the psalter
|
Psalms
|
Of
the day of the week
|
|||
Chapter
|
As
in the psalter
|
As
in the psalter
|
Ordinary
of Lent
|
Ordinary
of Passiontide
|
Responsory
|
||||
Hymn
|
||||
Versicle
|
||||
Antiphon
for the Magnificat
|
Of
the day in Septuagesima
|
Of
the day
|
Of the day
|
Of
the day
|
Magnificat+Gloria
Patri
|
As usual
|
|||
Antiphon
repeated
|
As above
|
|||
Closing
prayers
|
As usual
|
|||
- Collect
|
Of Of the Sunday
|
Of
Of the day for Vespers
O
|
||
The Triduum to Ascentiontide
Sacred
Triduum
|
Eastertide
|
Ascensiontide
|
|
Opening prayers
|
Omitted
|
As usual
|
As usual
|
Antiphons
for the psalms
|
For
the Triduum
|
One
antiphon only (alleluia, alleluia, alleluia)
|
|
Psalms
|
For the Triduum, no doxology
|
Of the day of the week
|
|
Chapter
|
Omitted
|
Ordinary
of Eastertide
|
Ordinary
of the Ascension
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Responsory
|
|||
Hymn
|
|||
Versicle
|
|||
Antiphon
for the Magnificat
|
Of
the day
|
Of
the Eastertide day
|
|
Magnificat
|
No
doxology
|
||
Antiphon
repeated
|
As above
|
||
Closing
prayers
|
Omitted- instead Christus factus est etc
|
For
the Friday and after the Sunday
|
|
- Collect
|
Of
Of the day
|
Of Of the Sunday
|
|
And for the next part in this series, continue on here.
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